Authorities reported that a “person of interest” was arrested on Sunday in relation to the death of a woman who was set on fire while riding a subway train in New York City.

According to Jessica Tisch, the New York City Police Commissioner, the suspect and victim were aboard an F train en route to the Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue station in Brooklyn at around 7:30 a.m. local time. As the train arrived at the station, the suspect approached the victim and deliberately ignited her before fleeing, Tisch stated.

The suspect, whose identity has not been disclosed, was apprehended shortly after the incident while on another F train, as reported by NYPD Chief of Transit Joseph Gulotta.

“Originally, we planned to hold this press conference seeking the public’s assistance in identifying and locating the individual responsible for this horrific crime, which took the life of an innocent individual,” Tisch remarked during a Sunday news briefing.

Officials suspect that the assailant used a lighter to set the woman’s clothing on fire, which quickly became engulfed in flames, according to Tisch. Officers stationed on a higher level of the subway station then noticed smoke and rushed to investigate.

The responding officers found the victim inside the train car “completely consumed by flames,” as Tisch described. The officers, along with a Metropolitan Transportation Authority worker, managed to put out the fire, but sadly, the victim was declared dead at the scene.

The identity of the victim remains unknown, according to Gulotta. The investigation is currently being handled as a homicide.

‘A clear, detailed view’

Tisch mentioned that surveillance cameras on the subway and body cameras worn by responding officers captured “a clear, detailed view” of the suspect.

The footage revealed the suspect approaching the victim, who was located at the end of the subway car, in a “calm” manner, according to Tisch. Initially, police suspected that the victim was asleep during the incident, but they later stated that it was uncertain whether she was asleep.

“We cannot definitively say if she was asleep. It appears that she was motionless in that location. There was no interaction between the two,” Gulotta explained, indicating that authorities do not believe the two individuals were acquainted prior to the attack.

After the event, police shared images of the individual of interest, identified as a man aged between 25 to 30 years, according to CBS New York. He stands approximately 5 feet, 6 inches tall and was dressed in a grey hooded sweatshirt, a grey wool hat, paint-splattered pants, and tan boots.

The suspect’s arrest came after three high school students dialed 911 to report seeing a man “wearing the same grey hoodie, distinctive wool hat, paint-splattered pants, and tan boots on another train,” Tisch stated.

A transit officer responded to the call and spotted the man on the F train wearing the same outfit as during the attack, as Gulotta noted. The officer then radioed ahead to stop the subway train, and the man was taken into custody without further incident.

“The person of interest was also found to have a lighter in his pocket,” Tisch added. Police have not yet revealed the suspect’s identity but noted that he migrated from Guatemala to the U.S. in 2018.

“I want to express my gratitude to the young people who contacted 911,” Tisch said. “They observed something unusual and took action.”

Transit safety in New York City

About 4 million subway rides are taken daily in the city, where violent crimes are relatively uncommon. Up to November, there had been nine reported homicides in the subway system in 2024, compared to five in the same timeframe in 2023, based on police statistics.

This incident occurred shortly after New York Governor Kathy Hochul, MTA CEO Janno Leiber, and law enforcement officials announced new measures to enhance subway safety.

Earlier in the year, the governor introduced a “five-point plan to utilize state resources” aimed at improving subway safety in New York City. Hochul initially deployed 750 members of the state National Guard, along with 250 state troopers and officers from the MTA.

This plan was put into action following a series of high-profile events in the subway system, including a deadly shooting on an elevated train platform and an incident where a train conductor was slashed.

Just recently, a jury acquitted Daniel Penny of criminally negligent homicide in connection with the death of Jordan Neely, who was a homeless man known for impersonating Michael Jackson on the subway. Neely had been shouting angrily at passengers when Penny restrained him in a chokehold for several minutes.

On Wednesday, Hochul announced that an additional 250 National Guard personnel would be deployed to New York City to support safety efforts. She also revealed that over 15,000 security cameras have been installed to ensure that every subway car is equipped with a camera.

“I committed earlier this year to improving our subway safety for the millions who use the trains daily, and we are enhancing our efforts by increasing the presence of National Guard members and installing security cameras in all cars,” Hochul stated in a Wednesday announcement. “Through cooperation with the MTA and New York City, we aim to deter crime, ensure safety for all passengers, and rebuild public trust in the system.”

Contributing: Reuters